Crestview wins battle of Bulldogs

Tuesday

Oct 8, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 8, 2013 at 4:39 PM

CRESTVIEW — A tenacious Class 1A Freeport High School volleyball team was no match for Class 7A Crestview on Monday as the teams celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Night. However, the visiting Bulldogs did keep things interesting for the host Bulldogs as Crestview won 3-0 by scores of 25-19, 25-12 and 25-17.

RANDY DICKSON / News Bulletin

CRESTVIEW — A tenacious Class 1A Freeport High School volleyball team was no match for Class 7A Crestview on Monday as the teams celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Night.

However, the visiting Bulldogs did keep things interesting for the host Bulldogs as Crestview won 3-0 by scores of 25-19, 25-12 and 25-17.

Crestview coach Kathy Combest knew there was a danger in playing a small school, but she was happy with a win that gave the Bulldogs a chance to work on their offense.

“It’s hard to play smaller teams because you want to play down to their level,” she said. “But I thought there were times there we kept going and didn’t lose focus, and that’s what we have to work on against the big teams, too.”

A six-day layoff between matches for Crestview seemed to show early in the first set as the players struggled to find their timing.

Crestview led 3-1 in the opening points of the match but Freeport rallied behind the serving of Laura Ham and Crestview mistakes to go up 7-4.

A Jasmine Middleton kill that was followed by a Marisa Rogers service ace propelled Crestview to a 7-0 run that moved the host Bulldogs in front 11-7.

Freeport was able to close within two points of Crestview at 12-10 before the home team pulled away down the stretch.

A Brittany Pase ace to start the second set sent Crestview on a 6-0 run and gave the Bulldogs a lead that would never be challenged in the set.

Middleton had a kill in the run and Cailey Ness had a pair of blocks to help Crestview (15-4) come roaring out of the blocks.

Freeport’s first point of the set came on a Crestview error. A second Crestview error in three points pulled Freeport to within 7-2. Crestview then went on a 6-0 run to put the set out of reach with the score 13-2.

Even though Freeport played Crestview even the second half of the set the damage was done as Crestview coasted down the stretch to take the set.

Freeportkept things close through the first half of the final set.

The visiting Bulldogs even led 15-14 before Crestview put it into high gear and went on an 11-4 run to take the set and seal the win.

Pase and Middleton shared the team lead with 11 kills each. Pase added three aces, two blocks and two digs to go along with her kills.

Molly Kitchen had 12 assists, seven blocks, two kills and an ace. Macie Adams had 11 assists to go along with three aces. Rogers led Crestview with eight aces and was tied for the team high of 11 digs with Molly Woodward.

Kierra Potts had 10 blocks and five kills. Ness had six blocks, three kills, three aces and two digs.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.